Travel Indianapolis - What's it like? (Maybe moving)

mrs.JC

LV and Let LV
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Jun 18, 2010
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Hi all, my husband and I were looking to move to Indianapolis where he's considering an employment opportunity. We currently live in Honolulu, HI (we've lived here most of our lives) and we're tired of the high cost of living, the competitive job market, and the hot climate. We've never lived on the mainland before but have visited a few different coastal states and have decided we wouldn't mind living there. However, we've never been anywhere inland.

My questions to anyone who lives (or has lived) in/around Indianapolis are:
1) Do/did you like living there? Why or why not?
2) What is the job market and pay like? My husband is pretty far in his career but as a trailing spouse, I've had to start over and my work prospects have suffered because of it. I am in my early thirties and have a lot of administrative work under my belt. How easy/difficult would it be for me to find a job, and do Indy employers pay better/worse than the national average?
3) What is the attitude towards luxury/designer brands? In Hawaii, designer brands are all over the place and no one blinks an eye at me if I walk by with LV, Gucci, etc.
4) Is this a good place to set down roots, or more of a stepping stone? My husband and I are 32/31 respectively with no kids yet but are thinking of having some soon. Is Indy safe? Does it have good schools and active communities, etc?

I realize I can probably learn all this with some googling, but as someone who stalks frequents this forum a lot, I'm interested in getting some first hand answers from likeminded people.

Thanks in advance!
 
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Hi all, my husband and I were looking to move to Indianapolis where he's considering an employment opportunity. We currently live in Honolulu, HI (we've lived here most of our lives) and we're tired of the high cost of living, the competitive job market, and the hot climate. We've never lived on the mainland before but have visited a few different coastal states and have decided we wouldn't mind living there. However, we've never been anywhere inland.

My questions to anyone who lives (or has lived) in/around Indianapolis are:
1) Do/did you like living there? Why or why not?
2) What is the job market and pay like? My husband is pretty far in his career but as a trailing spouse, I've had to start over and my work prospects have suffered because of it. I am in my early thirties and have a lot of administrative work under my belt. How easy/difficult would it be for me to find a job, and do Indy employers pay better/worse than the national average?
3) What is the attitude towards luxury/designer brands? In Hawaii, designer brands are all over the place and no one blinks an eye at me if I walk by with LV, Gucci, etc.
4) Is this a good place to set down roots, or more of a stepping stone? My husband and I are 32/31 respectively with no kids yet but are thinking of having some soon. Is Indy safe? Does it have good schools and active communities, etc?

I realize I can probably learn all this with some googling, but as someone who stalks frequents this forum a lot, I'm interested in getting some first hand answers from likeminded people.

Thanks in advance!
For a while my husband and I lived in Indianapolis.
1. I liked the cheap housing. For 1200 you can rent a one-bedroom apartment in a house with a pool and gym.
I did not like the fact that in the evening downtown is empty, everyone is moving in cars, no one walks on foot.
Buses in Indianapolis rarely go, you must have a car or live close to work. Basically everyone lives in Carmel and goes from there to work.
2. Pay in Indianapolis two times less than in New York.
3. Brands are almost not worn, there are not as many boutiques as in Hawaii or in Las Vegas
4. If you are a young couple you may be bored in Indianapolis.
 
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Hmmmm… well - I have lived in Indiana my entire life, most of it in or around Indianapolis.
1) Do/did you like living there? Yes, I do like living here. Is it like living in a major city with all it's perks? No, but it does have benefits - lower cost of living, relatively low crime rate, most of the people are friendly and *I* feel it's a great place for a family.
2) What is the job market and pay like? This I can't really answer - sorry!
3) What is the attitude towards luxury/designer brands? LV is pretty much everywhere, no one would blink an eye. Saks is our most "Luxury" store (we do have a Nordstrom but it's so mid-westernized that I find it a bit boring) - if you're looking for LV, Gucci, YSL, etc - that's where it will be. I don't often see many of the luxury brands (though I did see an H Evie at the salon the other day - I almost fainted), around… and I usually notice them when I do! :giggle: You'll see a lot of Coach, Michael Kors, Kate Spade (all very nice brands - Please don't get me wrong), and many main stream, casual bags. Most of the time I don't think anyone really pays any attention to what you might be carrying!
4) Is this a good place to set down roots, or more of a stepping stone? That would be hard to say, so much depends on so many different factors.

Indianapolis has really changed - and for the better. We have more independent restaurants than ever before, our downtown is busy, there are several different neighborhoods near downtown - Mass Ave, Fountain Square, Broadripple (though I personally feel there are WAY too many bars there) - that are fun and vibrant. In fact - we are staying downtown this weekend and will be walking to dinner at Bluebeard. The Indians have a marvelous ball park, the Colts are fun to watch. The 500 Race and the Brickyard draw people from all over the world. The Children's Museum is consistently ranked in the top museums for children, the IMA and the Eiteljorg Museum are both stellar places.
We do have room for improvement - like most cities though. Our buses and their schedule is - well - lame. We're currently in the middle of building The Red Line and it's causing the most awful traffic messes right through the middle of the city.
Public school systems are a mixed bag. There are many private schools, charter schools, and other options that you would need to check out.
Not everyone lives in Carmel, but it is a very respected city just outside Indy - I do not live there. But because of our public transport system (we have one?), you do need a car and traffic can be a monster. Especially during the Orange Cone Season - when it seems as though every street/road/avenue you might try going on is under construction.

Whether you would like it here or not is kinda subjective - sometimes things are what you make of them too. I encourage you to google the city and see what you think! :girlsigh:
Edited to add - Chicago is only 3 1/2 hours away if you need that Big City fix!
 
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I lived in Indianapolis area during my high school (family moved from California) and I stayed in state for college, altogether for 8 years in the early to late 2000s (so I'm similar in age as the OP). Even though I moved away a decade ago, I visit almost every year since my in-laws live there.

1) Do/did you like living there? I always describe Indianapolis/Indiana this way, "It's very flat: economically, culturally and topographically." I liked living there, but wouldn't say I loved it. Many of my high school friends also moved away after college (my now husband included), and their usual answer to this question is some version of "it's not bad." It's a comfortable place to live, given the low cost-of-living, and we had the time and means to travel somewhere annually to get some excitement. I will say Indy started getting more cosmopolitan in the mid to late-2000s when it got its first Sephora, Burberry, Tiffany's, etc. Like other smaller metro areas in the US, Instagramming millennials in search of new experiences have brought more diverse and global variety of restaurants in the last 5-10 years. I went to a new ramen place in Carmel (relatively affluent suburb/edge city Volha_ mentioned earlier) last year, and it was pretty good, but I did see a lot of people eating the noodle with forks (my in-laws included).
2) What is the job market and pay like? Based on some articles I've read, the reason why living in Indy is a very comfortable is that there is a high concentration of white-collar jobs combined for a place with such a low cost of living. When I lived there, my parents' friends/coworkers generally didn't have too many financial worries compared friends who lived in more expensive areas. HOWEVER, be aware that the median income in Indiana is below the national average and in the rank 35-40 out of 56 states, districts and territories. And the less competitive job market also translates to fewer opportunities should you want to make a switch. There might only 1 or 2 companies in your industry and, as I saw with my parents and their friends, if you don't like your company, you're either stuck or you'll have to move. And if you want to move away, that's when Indy's low cost of living might get you. If you want to move to somewhere more expensive, you'll either get sticker shock with rents or the money you get from selling your Indy house will not buy you much in another market. My in-laws are dealing with this (altho it's very extreme) as if they wanted to live near us in California, they would barely be able to afford a 1 bedroom apartment and can't adjust to downsizing that much.
3) What is the attitude towards luxury/designer brands? I'm not super knowledgable about this since I'm basing this more on my experience in high school (in a relatively affluent suburb) 15+ years ago. I remember a lot of girls had Louis Vuitton Mini Papillons. I remembering seeing more contemporary designers as Dooney & Bourke, Kate Spade and Coach. Also remember Vera Bradley also being big at the time). In terms of luxury designer brands, I remember seeing brands with super recognizable patterns, such as the LV monogram or Burberry Plaid.
4) Is this a good place to set down roots, or more of a stepping stone? When I lived there Indy was considered pretty safe, especially for people who had moved there from places like Cleveland. However, I heard about downtown and happening neighborhoods like Broad Ripple having more issues after I moved away; they had to implement curfews at one point. But the suburbs are fine; I don't property crime is any issue.
Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) is a mixed bag, just like any other big city district. The better schools are towards the north side (North Central High School) and the northern suburbs of Carmel, Fishers (Hamilton Southeastern Schools), and Zionsville have good districts and good private schools such as Park Tudor and Brebeuf Jesuit.
Most of my Indy-area friends came from families who put down roots there, while mine put some shallow roots but ultimately moved away. They were very happy with their roots there. I also encountered many families found it more of a stepping stone (family moving every ~5 years around the Midwest due to a job transfer). It is a definitely a very comfortable place to live, but also very different (although a little less so now) from Honolulu or coastal cities.
 
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Update: My husband accepted the position and we moved to Indianapolis in August 2019. To help anyone else that might be in the same boat, I've decided to answer my original questions and share a little bit about my experience so far.

1) Do/did you like living there? So far we love it. Although it's much colder than Hawaii (where we're from), the climate is still more temperate/mild than other nearby Midwest cities, like Chicago or Detroit. Cost of living (food, utilities, housing) is awesome and housing is wonderful. Traffic (lack thereof) is also lovely. The airport is pretty small but very clean and nice, and driving to travel has been a lot easier than I imagined.

2) What is the job market and pay like? Hawaii pay wasn't great to begin with, but the position my husband accepted came with a pay raise. I also didn't have too much of an issue finding work here (applied for two jobs and was interviewed/given offers for both), and yes, I did get a pretty good pay raise as well. My husband works in IT for the government and I work in an office within an administrative role.

3) What is the attitude towards luxury/designer brands? I see Louis Vuitton on occasion but don't see too many other luxury brands (Hermes, Chanel, etc) unless I go to Carmel area. I do see a lot of Michael Kors, Kate Spade and Coach, which is great because I am a fan of KS and Coach. I think it depends on where you're at in the city, but overall I think people who grew up in/near the city (and transplants) are generally okay with these brands, but older people who live in rural areas seem more judgmental. This is just my experience though. I've seen a lot of BMWs, Audis and Teslas, oddly enough.

4) Is this a good place to set down roots, or more of a stepping stone? My husband and I are 32/31 respectively with no kids yet but are thinking of having some soon. Where we live in Indy (West side about 30 mins from the city, 20 mins from the airport), it's a pretty safe location and we specifically live in a brand new suburban neighborhood where the worst crime are a few patio chair thefts. I hear we have some of the best schools in the entire state, so there's that also.
 
I know this is a fairly old thread, but I am so glad you like living in Indy! My husband grew up there, we have family there and visit often! I really like Indy! So happy that you are happy there. Enjoy!

Thanks so much, @tinybutterfly! It's definitely a culture shock for me. The food (I miss my rice and authentic ethnic food), religious and politics beliefs are different from what I'm used to, but the people here are kind, practical and conscientious. I feel blessed to live with such wonderful people!
 
Which kind of ethnic food specifically are you looking for? I can ask around and see if anyone I know up there knows of any little neighborhood restaurants that may be what you are looking for that are hard to find if you don't live in that specific neighborhood. Little restaurants are popping up all the time. Of course, right now with Coronavirus, nothing is open. :sad:
 
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